When I decided to become a secondary biology teacher, it was because I loved science and wanted to re-spark the passion for learning that all children innately have but that they seem to lose upon entering high school. I know I did. Granted, this was my original reason for pursuing this career! Since learning what it is to be an educator, I am a little overwhelmed with the shear amount of influence and responsibility that comes along with it. I can’t say that this is a bad thing, I believe, anxiety and pressure can be good motivating sources. I feel they will keep me humble and resist the urge to settle and accept less then what is accomplishable. I have since had to stop and ask myself, am I cut out for this. What makes me think I will be a good teacher? What I came up with is this, even though I am not becoming an educator because of some highly influential teacher I had way back when, like I usual hear as a reason. I feel I am becoming an educator for just as important, if not a more important reason. I am tired of watching children be labeled and educated accordingly. I was and am a very intelligent student and I struggled through high school. I struggled, I watched my friends struggle, and I watch my son struggle. When really all I needed was someone to say, what is wrong? You’re better than this, how can I help? I know I cannot change the educational system, or save every child, but I can as a teacher make a difference and a commitment to my students. I want to show my students there is excitement in learning. To teacher them how to become better people and members of society, to let them know they are not alone and there are people that care about them as individuals. Ok, great so how can I do this in my classroom. Well out of all the different teaching styles, and management approaches that I have learned about, there is not one in particular that I wholeheartedly agree with, but I think a combination of strategies will work best for me.
I want my students to be as involved as possible in their learning. To have a say in the classroom rules, the types of labs we do, to feel that they have a voice in my classroom. I feel this approach will give the students a sense of belongingness and also ownership, which will encourage them to do what they are suppose to do and if not the consequences are those they have already agreed upon. It also allows them to feel that what they have to say is important and gives them some responsibility in terms of decision making, which in a few years; they will be doing in society. As in a society the rules will be expected to be followed and consistently enforced. Consequences for breaking the rules are non-negotiable, as all have agreed on them. This will eliminate students feeling the teacher favors so and so, etc.
Through group work, I want my students to be able to better work with others and respect the fact that not everyone will have the same views as they do but that’s ok. By grading the group as a whole and as individuals, this will encourage each member to participate and to also help the other members of the group. In life we all will have to work with people who we may not get along with but being able to successfully work in a group is a skill that will be used throughout life and at times make life just a little easier.
Of course my primary function as a biology teacher is to teach biology. I love biology! It fascinates me and gets my mind racing. Of course I would love if every single one of my students left my class with the same passion for biology as I have but I know that will not be the case. I do however; want to teach in a way that engages all my students, so maybe when they leave my class they will at least have a greater respect and understanding of biology. In order to do this, I feel it is extremely important to connect what we are learning in the classroom to the lives of my students. For me to do this I must know my students and ask them what they are interested in and then it is my job to relate that to the subject matter. Giving them choices of labs to do, having them fill out an interest sheet at the beginning of the year and using their responses to guide my lessons are a few ways that I can do this.
All and all I feel there are so many resources out there on how to be a good teacher, you should do this, but don’t do that, don’t get me wrong some of them are really good, but I will have a classroom full of resources 5 days a week 6 hours a day. As a teacher I think I would be remiss in my job if I did not take advantage of this plentiful resource and use my students in a way that will enable me to become a better teacher for them. Yes, I am a biology teacher, but my responsibility to my students does not end there. I want my students to know I will advocate for them, that I care what they are going through, and I am here if they need me and when the final bell rings and my students move on, I want to know that I had a hand in helping those students develop the skills needed to become well rounded, successful members of society.
I want my students to be as involved as possible in their learning. To have a say in the classroom rules, the types of labs we do, to feel that they have a voice in my classroom. I feel this approach will give the students a sense of belongingness and also ownership, which will encourage them to do what they are suppose to do and if not the consequences are those they have already agreed upon. It also allows them to feel that what they have to say is important and gives them some responsibility in terms of decision making, which in a few years; they will be doing in society. As in a society the rules will be expected to be followed and consistently enforced. Consequences for breaking the rules are non-negotiable, as all have agreed on them. This will eliminate students feeling the teacher favors so and so, etc.
Through group work, I want my students to be able to better work with others and respect the fact that not everyone will have the same views as they do but that’s ok. By grading the group as a whole and as individuals, this will encourage each member to participate and to also help the other members of the group. In life we all will have to work with people who we may not get along with but being able to successfully work in a group is a skill that will be used throughout life and at times make life just a little easier.
Of course my primary function as a biology teacher is to teach biology. I love biology! It fascinates me and gets my mind racing. Of course I would love if every single one of my students left my class with the same passion for biology as I have but I know that will not be the case. I do however; want to teach in a way that engages all my students, so maybe when they leave my class they will at least have a greater respect and understanding of biology. In order to do this, I feel it is extremely important to connect what we are learning in the classroom to the lives of my students. For me to do this I must know my students and ask them what they are interested in and then it is my job to relate that to the subject matter. Giving them choices of labs to do, having them fill out an interest sheet at the beginning of the year and using their responses to guide my lessons are a few ways that I can do this.
All and all I feel there are so many resources out there on how to be a good teacher, you should do this, but don’t do that, don’t get me wrong some of them are really good, but I will have a classroom full of resources 5 days a week 6 hours a day. As a teacher I think I would be remiss in my job if I did not take advantage of this plentiful resource and use my students in a way that will enable me to become a better teacher for them. Yes, I am a biology teacher, but my responsibility to my students does not end there. I want my students to know I will advocate for them, that I care what they are going through, and I am here if they need me and when the final bell rings and my students move on, I want to know that I had a hand in helping those students develop the skills needed to become well rounded, successful members of society.